(58K)I continued on to Malaysia, one of my favorite places in Asia. The reason I liked it so much is the combination of cultures. Malay, Chinese and Indian are he most prevalent, making for some of the best eating in Asia. Chinatown and the Indian part of the city are very distinct. Each group maintains it's culture very strongly. I think this might hail back to the British colonization, when the Chinese and Indians were brought to Malaysia as servants and laborers.
Malaysia is a rapidly developing country, in contrast to Indonesia, which is still pretty much third-world. This means that while it was easier to get around, it was also more expensive. A night in a hostel dorm bed in Malaysia was about US$4, while in Indonesia, I could get a very nice double room for that price. I spent about four days in Kuala Lumpur, looking around the city and taking care of business. KL was one of my big mail drops, and I needed to visit the AMEX office for traveler's checks.
I hopped on the night train through the jungle on my way to the Perhentian Islands. These two small islands off the north east coast of Malaysia are very primitive, and as such, a magnet for the young budget traveler. Unfortunately, the place had been discovered by young drinkers, making my experience there not quite what I expected. I wanted to see the people there as interested in the pristine natural environment as I was, but got a bunch of sunbathers with hangovers. I was able to find some like-minded people eventually, and proceeded to have a much better time.
On leaving the islands, I made my way back to the small city of Kota Bharu. I love Kota Bharu. It's the most traditional city I visited while in Malaysia, and is not major tourist destination. That was the real Malaysia, and not the one the tourist office wants you to see.
Kota Bharu is in the very Muslim province of Kelantan. Most of the women wear scarves on their heads and long kaftans covering their bodies from ankles to neck, even on the hottest days. The mosque was very large and elegant, and they didn't mind having us walk around when the prayers were over.
The best part about Kota Bharu was the markets. There is a huge batik market in the middle of town, right next to the amazing produce market. But the most remarkable of all was the night market; over 100 stalls all serving the most delicious Malaysian food. The parking lot in the center of town would empty out at 5 o'clock, and the all the stalls would be up and running by 6.
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